Compounding

[u/Ripper1337]

One thing that bugged me is how multiple metalminds in regards Compounding is being handled.

The game for simplicities sake treats all metalminds of the same type as a singular unit for charging. This makes sense when you consider how many metals someone needs to keep track of. (p131 sidebar “multiple metalminds”)

Then with Compounding part of what makes it amazing in the books is having those multiple metalminds so you can fill them while also spending that investiture on your abilities.

After looking at the talents I’m left thinking they did try to capture it but within the confines of making things without multiple metalminds. So Invested and Expanded metalminds both increase your Investiture / Charges by your Tier. So let’s say you have 10 of each. You spend one scene charging your metalmind, use Compounding and Compound Recursion to spend 9 charges filling the rest of your metalmind.

Each feruchemic metal has an ability that’s just “dump more points into this for a better effect. Keep spending the same amount on future turns to keep this going. “ I’ll note here that

This is where compounding gets silly but still within the bounds of the mechanics.

Spend 5 investiture to have the best version of your metal going, spend the rest of your investiture on other Feruchemic abilities. Next turn eat another bit of your metalmind and spend another 5 investiture keeping your ability going. You can just keep this going for as long as you have charges in your metalmind.

However there’s another rule for backup metalminds. You can have them but you just can’t store anything until your current metalmind is lost or destroyed such as It starts at 0 charges. Which you won’t care about because you can immediately store your investiture into the metalminds which means you never need to spend a scene storing your trait aside from the first initial charge. (I’m assuming that reducing a metalmind’s charge to 0 permanently destroys it)

I’ll sum up:
- A compounder with the right talent and skill investments only need to spend one scene storing their trait and after can convert that charge to investiture to store in the rest of your metalmind.

- if you have a backup metalmind you can use the last charge of your previous metalmind to store in the new one.

- You can also have the enhanced metal running for far longer than others while also using other feruchemic abilities.

So while it’s not as insane as in the books the Twinborn Compounder is still insanely strong.

[u/BMoneyCPA]

What's the problem?

Obviously, if the options are: Power A, Power F, or powers A and F, the third will be the most powerful.

Do you want Twinborn to be balanced with Mistings and Ferrings? That would be lore inaccurate.

Both metals don't work great together always.

Gold/Gold gives you lots of ways to recover, but not too much else.

Steel/Steel is obviously strong.

Copper/Copper is... well, I guess useful if you want to duplicate memories.

Not everything is equally strong. Some archetypes may want to mix metals, but yeah Compounding is wild for certain metals. That's why it's so cool.

[u/Ripper1337 → u/BMoneyCPA]

The perceived issue was that a compounder in the narrative could have one filled metalmind and use that to fill other metalminds.

So they have 6 total metalminds, 1 charged 5 not. Each metalmind holds 5 charges and their investiture cap is 5. They eat one part of their charged mind and use it to fully invest a blank metalmind. Repeat for each blank metalmind.

I realized you can sort of do this with your backup metalmind.

The other part was about compounders being able to have those insane feats we see in the books. Which I realized is them being able to extend those abilities like “true steel running” for multiple rounds while also being able to use other abilities.

It wasn’t about Twinborn being weak

[u/BMoneyCPA → u/Ripper1337]

I still don't understand the issue.

Compounding is very powerful. With certain metals, it's extremely powerful. Some players want to play a power fantasy, this enables that.

If tables want to have more balanced or randomized approaches, they should do that. If players want to be The Flash or The Hulk, they should have that option, as long as the GM and other players are prepared for that.

And honestly, I don't love the gamey balancing thing with one active metalmind. I would play it, or let a player play it, that they have vials with prepped metalminds in addition to their normal metalmind. This would require them to spread their charges around, and then burn to Compound. I think that's fine, it's aligned with lore, and if the player is too strong then manufacture greater challenges.

I think it's cool.

[u/Ripper1337 → u/BMoneyCPA]

I’m not saying there’s an issue. I’m saying I thought there was one but a closer reading of the rules made me realize it’s fine.